How old 'crucify' video is new news

When a Republican senator last week released a video of a senior Environmental Protection Agency official pledging to “crucify” lawbreaking oil and gas companies, it spread like wildfire, leading the Drudge Report and getting airplay on Fox News. The individual resigned within five days.

But to Texas Republicans, the tape of EPA Region 6 Administrator Al Armendariz was old news. In fact, they tried to get the video to go viral two years ago.

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Armendariz made his comments at a Dish, Texas, town hall in May 2010, telling residents that EPA would help with local drilling pollution problems and go after lawbreaking companies. “It was kind of like how the Romans used to conquer little villages in the Mediterranean. They’d go into a little Turkish town somewhere; they’d find the first five guys they saw; and they would crucify them. And then, you know, that town was really easy to manage for the next few years. … So, that’s our general philosophy,” he said.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) “showed it around and complained about it, but [got] no response,” said Richard Greene, who was Region 6 administrator under President George W. Bush.

“I actually saw that video within a few days of when that took place, … and I recall responding at the time: ‘Oh my goodness — this could threaten Al’s job. He’s not making people at headquarters or in the White House very happy with this kind of language and conduct,’” added Greene, now an adjunct professor at University of Texas at Arlington.

But two years later, Sen. Jim Inhofe’s office was more successful, conducting a master class in Beltway media outreach.

The Oklahoma Republican posted the video on YouTube, sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, went on the Senate floor to denounce Armendariz and made the rounds on TV last Wednesday.

By the next morning, the story was featured on the Daily Caller and Drudge and bouncing around the conservative blogosphere. Fox News correspondent Ed Henry brought up the comments at the White House press briefing, where Jay Carney, spokesman for President Barack Obama, made clear Armendariz was on his own. “The individual here apologized and made clear those comments are an inaccurate way to characterize the work EPA does,” Carney said.

On Friday, Jackson also denounced the comments, saying, “I’ve made clear to him that I’m glad he apologized because his comments were disappointing; they’re not representative of the agency; they don’t reflect any policy that we have; and they don’t reflect our actions over the past two years.”